Melissa Penfold's top 20 tips for an organised home

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Good organisation is invisible. Muddle stares you in the face. If things have a proper home they are more likely to be put away and be found again in good condition. The trick to getting organised is to do a big edit of all your possessions and chuck out everything that compromises your taste. Breaking up is hard to do. Be strong. Find nifty storage solutions and don’t let any corner of your house become a repository for detritus. Words and image editing by stylist Melissa Penfold.

1. Create space in the kitchen for the things you need. Store items where they are used, based on frequency of use. Store scrubbers and soap near sinks. Image via Neptune Kitchens.

3. Open shelves are a quick-fix, cheaper than built-ins and sometimes preferable because they don’t shrink a room. Use them for china, chopping boards, glassware, anything you want to store. Plus if you see it, you’ll use it; and if you don’t, chuck it out. Image via Neptune Kitchens.

11. Create a home office in the best corner of the house with Ikea’s new Knotten standing desk, with shelves and drawers for your bits and pieces. Image via Ikea.

12. Opt for storage solutions like the Rimforsa kitchen island bench that can be moved or modified as needed, making it a versatile storage choice. Image via Ikea.

13. Keep only kitchen utensils that are as beautiful as the day you brought them. Don’t hold on to burnt chopping boards, bent knives, or souvenir spoons. If it’s badly designed, worn or damaged, throw it out. Image of Sebastian Cox kitchen, via deVOL Kitchens.

14. Take inspiration from Danish brand, Vipp and create a kitchen that’s as glamorous as the appliances and accessories you store in it. Image via Vipp.

15. Aim to cut the content of all your drawers by more than half. Clear out what you can and display the rest on the bench or keep them bristling in a container on the counter. Image via Vipp.

16. Gadget drawers are where most people keep 50 bits and pieces they never use. Who needs three can openers? Or those weird teaballs? If its light, worn or damaged, throw it out. And hang the rest from hooks. Image via Vipp.

17. You can open freestanding shelves for everything. They’re also great for filling awkward spaces and using for books in the sitting room, towels in the laundry, lotions in the bathroom, paperwork in the office, crockery in the kitchen. Luckily, there are plenty of good options around.